What she does to people
by Ravyek
Summary: Just a short thing, that came to my mind after a night without sleep. Slightly implied OtherFaith


Author's note: Short thing, intended as a one shot, but if you like it, I can try and add a sequel

This is my first attempt at fiction in english, since it's not my native language. Please let me know, what I could do better and if I messed up the spelling or something, tell me about it. (I know I messed up the tenses in some parts. I'll work on that again.)

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. They all belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. No, wait... Rob/Ray belongs to me.

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Morning sun creeps up slowly into the house I had been living in for eight years now, lighting my room and everything in it in all those familiar colours, I just enjoyed in silent reverie, dreamlike. As of usual these past few days, I had been staying up all night, not really getting any sleep into my system. I just had a lot of weird thoughts lately and wasn't able to silence them at night. So I just stayed awake in the dark, eyes wide open, talking silently to myself, because I couldn't stand the lack of sound when I stopped. And of course - how could it not have happened? - the signs of sleep wasted decided to show on my face, pulling lines of strain into there, that got my mother worried to her best and sending me off to bed sooner every night, checking in on me every hour or so. Well, she couldn't check on my mind, so that didn't really help any. Besides, I didn't feel anything of the strain, that should have come from my sleeplessness, whatever the cause. Instead I just spent every waking hour of my nights - and they were many - wondering in ways I probably hadn't wondered about anything even when I was a child... and I was a very curious child, according to everyone I had tortured with my questions at the age, when it's actually superb fun to just ask "Why is that so?" over and over again for hours. And I certainly wondered about things far different from the things that had occupied my mind then. Though the difference was probably not all that big, seeing all the wonderings I felt were always wonderings about the ways of the world.

All right, getting really cryptic an' all poetic language around here, but hey... I've been known to be a friggin romantic when nobody I know looks my way. So away from my ponderings over childhood and the world and back to something that actually can be grasped and sensed and recognised by more than one lonely human mind, that's got nothing better to do.

As I said. I didn't get much sleep these days, due to a lot of thinking going on, my parents were worried about me, but I actually felt as good as ever. Besides, I kinda like watching the sunrise every morning. And since it's summer holidays I sure as hell caught every single one of them for all the time I Iacked a decent nighttime behaviour, which has been about a week or so, probably add a few more days to that. Even with the sunrises it's kinda hard to keep track of the days, if you don't sleep and don't have an actual routine going on. I pretty much suck at keeping track of days anyways, so who cares?

But today, it seems I actually have to get up for something or other, because my mum can be heard ruffling about downstairs, obviously up at an unusually early time for her. Just when I begin wondering, what could be going on, I hear her calling up to me.

"Hey, lazy! Get up for heavens sake. You got school today. And yes, you probably are up already, I know. Just get your pants down here, before I gotta speed to get you to your classes on time."

Well, here you go, guys. That's my mum. Plain and in all her morning glory, ordering about and reminding me of those beautiful days that are to follow for weeks and months again now. Well, good news, I'll probably be so exhausted by boredom, that I could finally get some sleep in any of the coming nights.

Slightly in a daze, as I have been for some time now, I get ready for school, only shortly thinking about throwing a pair of my jeans down the stairs, just for the laughs. Senior year here we go, all mature and no childish pranks anymore. By this time next year, I'll be out of high-school for some time, but instead getting ready for college. At least that's supposed to be more interesting.

A hasty breakfast and a neckbreaking drive later - it's just my mom, ya know, she can't help it - I find myself back at the gates of good ole Sunnydale High, wonderful amazing place of my enlightenment and only true institution that could be able to prepare and shape me right for the future. _Cough_.

"Heya there, you."

I turn my head sluggishly to the speaker and can't help but feel my face lighten up at the sight of the person standing before me.

"Hey right back, Xand. How was your vacation?"

"Uh. You know. The usual sort."

He shrugs, but his wide grin betrays him and I can't help but punching him in the chest for trying it again.

"Come on, don't try to hide the fact that you had a good time, probably lying in the sun most of the day with some nice girls all but drooling over the stories of your heroism, wherever that may lie."

The chuckle that escapes him at my tirade just makes me smile even more. God, how I missed that guy over the past four weeks. He's wrecked and an idiot, but we all are, our "gang" as we like to call it. Otherwise we wouldn't have that much fun.

"Oh. That lies somewhere, you'll never see or reach. But you're wrong by the way. I actually spent most of my days in a forest, although I admit it was near a beach. I was actually hiking and accompanied by a lot of guys way older than I am and one girl my age, cute but belonging to family."

"Well, I guess that's the fate you meet, when going on a hiking trip with your uncle, his friends and your lovely cousin. As for your "heroism" I don't think I'll ever get to the part, where I should actually want to see it."

"And when are you going to learn, that English has actually developed since everyone was a poet?"

I turn to glance at the owner of the new voice, interrupting my conversation with Xander.

"Well, probably when you have learned, that there are people that tend and dare to be different from you."

A grin greets my reply, then I'm almost shoved off my feet, when a mess of brown hair envelops my face and I'm getting hugged by the mistress of the school, her ever shining majesty Cordelia Chase. I pat her shoulder, putting a distancing smile on my face.

"No need to get all touchy, just 'cause you couldn't get me for some weeks now."

"Well, can't I ever have missed my favourite individualistic poet?"

"Shove it, Cor, you're not getting any."

Lost sleep is practically forgotten as I get back to talking to my guys, jabbing about with them and not caring if I'm crossing any lines, 'cause there are very few between a bunch of crazy madmen, as one could say. As for the poet commentary... I had mentioned this earlier, hadn't I? It's a friggin habit, just keeps coming back.

"Why, Rob? Don't be that way to me. Don't you love me?"

I laugh at the weirdness of the situation. The Queen of the school, pleading before me the weirdo, using the best pout and puppy dog eyes I've ever seen. But it's not gonna work with me this time. All out of a simple cause.

"I ain't got any more money. It all went out on clothing an' books and other stuff like that. Besides... who of us two is the one with the big mansion and the loads of money? Feed off your own plate."

By then, Xander has caught up to the conversation and plunges right into it.

"Well, how do you think, her family made that money in the first place?"

I've got to grin at the visual image of Cordy sitting in a street on a bag of money, holding out her hands and asking for... more money. Or some more stylish clothes.

But all too soon for me, the bell rings and our fun is replaced by the nagging question of how we are going to find out our schedules and get to our first class on time. Not that I'd really mind being late, but you have to keep up an image. I don't really know, what mine is, but it had involved getting everyone where they were supposed to be on time, while still fulfilling my own schedule for a long time now. Today is probably not going to be an exception.

So it's me rushing to the board, noting the first three lessons for five people. Yeah, five. Because I know, there are two people always coming in even later than anybody else, while the last member of our group is probably sitting in her classroom since the second she got the chance to. Shuffling up to me, just as I finish, Xand and Cordy just stretch out their hands and jog off, waving short goodbyes and leaving me to wait for two certain people who tend to never get out of bed before afternoon.

"Hey, you got the schedule?"

I shrug at the short boy coming up to me, sounding and looking as though he had fallen out of bed just ten minutes ago. Which I'm sure is coming quite near to the truth.

"Yeah, sure thing, Oz. Here ya go. You still got a few minutes."

"Cool."

He just nods, smiles faintly and begins to walk on, same pace as before, same posture as before. That guy is by sure the most stoid and cool person I have ever met. I'm not one to freak out easily and even though biology says, I belong to the feminine part of our race, I've always been far from the girly squealing, the others seem to be born with. I never quite figured, how they maintained their hearing...

But Oz, I believe, could be trapped in a burning, collapsing house , standing right above a huge canyon and still be all cool about it.

And yes, I am still standing here in the now again empty entrance hall, since some sense of duty of mine tells me to wait for...

"Ah. That fucking bike will someday cost me every single dollar and then my life if it keeps breaking down."

... that. I don't even have to turn to know exactly the way she is looking with her helmet just pulled off, dressed in her leathers and boots, glaring wildly at no one in particular and just letting her morning moodiness snap at everyone who gets in her way. Okay, that was just the strangest way to go on about someone, but you should take a look at her, when she's storming around like that, still making it look relaxed, but rebellious. Laid back, teasing, just taking on whatever might come in her way - or look as if - for the pure fun of it and getting that amused sparkle in her brown eyes, when she's found something or someone to play with.

Okay, I'm gonna spare you any more right now, 'cause she's more than late again and I'm not gonna be late on my first day back to school. No way. Not even with a lazy and unpredictable Faith Lehane on my heels. I hope so anyways.

"Ey, Ray. Got my schedule, haven't you?"

I just nodded, pulling the sheet of paper off the pile, that was settled in my arms.

"Yeah. Here. You got like... half a minute to get there, which means I got too, so you better hurry up a little."

"Whoa. Chill, Ray. It's only school, why are you fussing so much about it? You of all fucking people?"

Well, okay... you could say, that I'm not in exact need of attending every single class on time and fully alert, which I'm not, by the ways... I did mean that with the boredom before, ya know? But still, I can at least try to stay out of trouble and thereby get past rough situations with my parents. Well, in school anyways. But that's another thing and I'm again trailing off.

I turn to face her and frown a little, waving her schedule towards her, hoping she will at least take it, but no siree. She just stands right in front of me eyeing me up and down, grinning that half wicked but 100 persuasive grin of hers.

"Look, Fai. I just want to stay out of trouble with my parents, and here they would definitely notice sooner or later. Now considering that bike of yours. It already cost all your dollars and I'm kinda glad, that you're at least wearing a helmet. That thing could break apart right under you."

"Well, no need to go all into babble-mode now, not your job, you see?"

I stop my ranting as she places a hand on my arm, still grinning mischievously and instead go completely silent. What is it about that damn girl, that makes me go all nervous?

"Come on... some fresh air will do you good. You ain't got any interest in... physics anyway."

She takes a glance down at my schedule and then leans in even closer to me, purring into my ear.

"Let's motorvate on that machine of death I got myself. I don't want to waste a morning in this damp building."

And just like this, resolve flies out of the window and we're back at three years ago, when I met her for the first time. She is the wicked cool new girl at the school, I'm supposed to show her around and she says those exact words to me. And hell yes, I wasn't the way I am now at that time. Nah. I was all terribly innocent and unknowing and keeping to rules, though not really in an enthusiastic way. And I already then had my "head in the clouds" as Faith loved to point out. So I'm back to that now, just giving her a stunned deer-in-the-headlights kind of look and being pulled along by her, before I can protest. Fuck, that girl has been my best friend for three years now and I know her tricks, but she can still do this to me. And she fuckin' knows it, too.

Now this I gonna be one hell of a morning. In every single sense that phrase can possibly have.

It's just what she'll do to people.


End file.
